We live in a big and wonderful world with many amazing destinations to travel to. Unfortunately, many of these destinations are potentially dangerous.

However, just because a place is seen as being dangerous doesn’t mean you have to totally avoid it. Rather you need to be aware of what you’re getting yourself into and make sure you prepare adequately.

Here’s our guide to travelling safely in a high-risk area.

Access the Risk

If you’re taking a trip to an area with a history of conflict, violence or criminal activity, only you can know what your comfort levels and appetite for risk are.

Determine whether or not it will be worth it to travel to a place if you’re going to spend much of your time feeling anxious and not really enjoying yourself.

Be Prepared

Before your trip:

Do some research to determine the political situation of the place you’re travelling to

Read the local papers online to understand what’s currently happening at that destination

Ask questions of people who have travelled there before to gain further insight into what the problems actually are.

Plan Your Trip and Leave a Trail

Before travelling:

Notify your embassy that you’ll be travelling to a high-risk area

Make copies of your passport, as a lost passport is an expensive inconvenience and there’s a high possibility you may not be able to replace it in a high-risk area

Give a family member or friend a copy of your itinerary. This will help them determine roughly where you should be if they need to find you

Make sure you have the contact details of the people you’ll travelling with, the number of your embassy and those of a trusted driver or guide.

Travel with a Company Experienced in High-Risk Areas

Travelling with a company with extensive knowledge of working in high-risk areas can help put your mind at ease. Here at Driven Worldwide, we have an extensive network of trusted partners across Central and South America, the Middle East, and Africa.